4 Principles of Ruling

[Islamic Revival]

Principle I


Sovereignty is with Allah, not with man


The Muslims are regulated by Allah's commands and prohibitions, as Allah (swt) says:




"Surely, by thy lord, they will not believe (in truth) until they make thee judge of what is in dispute between them." [TMQ 4: 65]

"O Believers, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you should quarrel on anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger." [TMQ 4: 59]



We refer to the verses which show us clearly that we shouldn’t judge or rule any action except by Islam, because Allah (swt) said:



"And whoso does not judge by whatever Allah has revealed, they are disbelievers" [TMQ 5:44]

"And whoso does not judge by whatever Allah has revealed, they are oppressors" [TMQ 5:45]

"And whoso does not judge by whatever Allah has revealed, they are sinners" [TMQ 5:47]

"So judge between them by whatever Allah has revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them lest they seduce you from even some part of that which Allah revealed to you" [TMQ 5:49]

"And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids, abstain from it. And keep your duty to Allah, for Allah is severe in retribution" [TMQ 59:7]



The Arabic word "ma" (is ma of al-umoum), which translates as "whatever", meaning "all" or "what", is in fact a form of generality, it refers to the obligation of adhering to all the duties and the obligation of abstaining from all the prohibitions; the demand in these verses is clear-cut and decisive, stressing the obligation of performing and applying all that the Messenger of Allah (swt) brought to us and to abstain from all that He forbids us, and this demand is decisive due to the connection which exists in the verses such as the demanding of piety and the warning against the severe punishment for those who do not abide by all the rules, commands and prohibitions. Allah (swt) has forbidden us from following people’s whims and the limited human minds. Allah (swt) has described those Muslims who do not seek arbitration, or rule by what He (swt) has revealed as being disbelievers, oppressors or sinners.

Furthermore, the distinguished scholars have consented on the obligation to refer to Shari‘ah rule in all disputes and to rule by it, for the texts are clear cut in their indication, and there are no excuses for any individual, group or State to neglect this duty. There should be no negligence, no step by step implementation and no delay in the implementation of Shari‘ah. There should also be no excuses for delay, because Allah (swt) commanded:



"And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids, abstain from it. And keep your duty to Allah, for Allah is severe in retribution" [TMQ 59:7]

"Today, I have perfected your deen for you and have bestowed upon you the full measure of My blessings, and willed that Islam be your deen" [TMQ 5:3]



A regime cannot legitimately call itself Islamic until all its laws and systems are Islamic:



"Do you believe in part of the book and reject the other part?" [TMQ 2:85]

"Rule among them by what Allah has revealed. Be careful. Do not let them deviate you even from part of the revelation" [TMQ 5:49]



Some individuals, intellectuals, and groups, who champion such regimes as Islamic justify their claim on the notion of gradual implementation, claiming that Islam must proceed in its implementation in a gradual manner before reaching its climactic stage where Islam as a system is fully established. Such a notion completely contradicts Islam because the implementation of 20% of Islam, by simple mathematics, implies the presence of 80% of Kufr. And Allah (swt) condemns those who take Islam in pieces in the ayah when He (swt) says,



"Do you believe in a part of the Book and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Judgement they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment."[TMQ 2:85]



Any authority that claim itself as Islamic is bound by the Shariah of Allah (swt) to implement Islam completely.

What controls and runs the Muslims and the Ummah is not the Muslims themselves, nor the Ummah, rather the choice of the Muslims and the Ummah is regulated by Allah's orders and prohibitions only. These evidences are explicit in making the sovereignty for the Laws of Allah (swt) and not for the Ummah.

The actions of the "Khulafah Rashideen" (the first four Khulafah’) have indicated that the supremacy is to the Shariah and not the people, the sahaba did not object to this and consented, their general consensus is proof that the supremacy is indeed to the shariah and none else.

Therefore, the supremacy is to the shariah; for the Khalifah is not given the pledge by the ummah merely to be a hired man, executing what the ummah decides - as is the case in the democratic system - he is given the pledge of allegiance by the ummah to execute the rules of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger (SAW), i.e. to execute the shariah Laws and not what people want; and if the people deviated and disobeyed shariah he should fight them until they repented (returned).

[Islamic Revival]

Principle II


Authority is with the Muslims[/u]


In addition to establishing its structure solely upon Islam, the security of the Islamic State must rest in the hands of the Muslims and not with any other entity, state, or power. The State should not depend on any other foreign entity/force to secure its security. Complete authority over its internal affairs and its territory must reside exclusively with the State and the Muslim Ummah for such an entity to be the Islamic State. When Muhammad asked a tribe for the authority (Nussrah), the chiefs of the tribe said, "We have an agreement with the Persian empire. They have authority in specific areas so if you want us to provide you with the Nussrah then this Nussrah will be restricted to that area only." The Prophet told them explicitly,



"No, I am looking for a person who has full authority, no person deserves to protect or support this deen without having the full authority."



From this incident, the Shariah establishes full authority upon its territory as a condition for a state to be Islamic. If a state cannot not guarantee its own security then it does not have full authority. If the State does not have full authority upon its territory then it is not practising its right and it's not considered to be the Islamic State.


The region that gives a head of State, the bayah of Iniqaad (Contractual bayah) must meet two conditions: (i) the regions authority must belong to the Muslims alone, not any Kufr entity; and (ii) the regions internal and external security must be by Muslims, not the Kuffar. As for the bayah of Taa'ah (Obedience), it can be taken from any region without the, need to satisfy these two conditions.


The proof for this article is the prohibition of the Kuffar to have the authority over the Muslims. This is due to Allah's saying



"Allah will not make for the Kafir a way over the Muslims. [TMQ 4:141].



Making a non-Muslim rule over the Muslims is giving him a way over the Muslims and this has been denied by Allah (swt). As such, the ayah is a prohibition for Muslims to allow a non-Muslim to rule over them.


If the Kuffar have authority over a Muslim region, that region has no right to appoint a Khalifah. This is because appointing a Khalifah means to delegate him authority. That region, however, has no authority, and therefore, cannot delegate something it does not have. Its authority in this case lies in the hand of Kufr.


And in regard to direct support from a disbelieving military force Muhammad said clearly:



"Do not seek power from the fire of the pagans ..."



and as reported by Abu Hameed Al-Saidi:



"We do not accept the assistance of the Mushriks".



Allah (swt) has commanded us in the Quran:



"O you who believe: do not ally with my enemy and your enemy, do not grant them your gratitude because they rejected the truth you believe in" ... [TMQ 60:1]



An example of not having full authority could have been during the British occupation of India if a person during that time claimed himself to be a Khalifah. He is not eligible to be a Khalifah even if he implemented Islam in his territory. Because the authority was still at the helm of Britain.

[Islamic Revival]

Principle III


There can be only one Khaleef[/u]


The installation into office of only one Khalif is an obligation on all Muslims.


Many ahadith confirm that Muslims are forbidden from having more than one state, and from having more than one ruler (amir) in the whole world. Muslim reported that the Prophet said:



"He who pledged allegiance to an Imam giving him the clasp of his hand and the fruit of his heart shall obey him as long as he can, and if another comes to dispute with him you have to strike the neck of that man."



So the command to obey the Imam is an order to establish him, and the command to fight those who dispute with him is an evidence that this command is decisive in maintaining the presence of one Khaleefah. Al Imam Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Said Al Khudri that the Messenger of Allah said:



"When the oath of allegiance has been given for two Khalifs, kill the latter of them." Abu Said al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet said: "If a pledge is taken to two Khaleefahs, kill the latter one."

[Islamic Revival]

Principle IV


Only the Khaleef has the right to adopt divine laws for implementation by the State[/u]


The unanimity of the Prophet's companions (Ijma'a sahabah) is a proof that only the Khalif can adopt divine laws to be implemented by the State. From this consensus (Ijma'a) the following well known Shari'a principles have been deduced:



"The Imam's decree settles the dispute" and "The Imam's decree must be implemented." Thus, only the Khalif passes the constitution and various canons.